How can we ever achieve true happiness and peace within ourselves if
we continue to be haunted by old memories of trauma, abuse or pain.
These past memories transform into fear and make it impossible for
us to break unhealthy cycles, form positive and healthy relationships,
truly care for ourselves…
If you have a diagnosed mental illness, or any illness for that matter,
than balance is the key to keeping your symptoms at bay, and in our
society medication may be a key to your ability to live a functioning life,
but medication is only a bandaid.
Pain will always be painful but the way that we process it determines
how easily and healthfully we overcome it.
In the next few posts I will be discussing holistic therapies that can
enhance your healing journey. As lifelong counsellor of high needs
children, youth and adults I have been introduced to all of these
techniques, have used them and feel they are the most effective
and valuable to share.
The first therapy we will discuss is prominent and widely used
worldwide. It is a process called EMDR-where the therapist
explores with the patient what their most painful memories
are and then they are rated from 1-10 (as you’ll witness in
the video below). While accessing the specific memory that
causes the most pain the therapist leads the patient through
a series of eye movements or tapping and sometimes sound
and this allows the memory to come to the surface and
reprocessed. It is said that this type of therapy is more
effective than traditional talk therapy and can heal the
patient in fewer sessions due to the effectiveness of it.
Enjoy!
EMDR-as defined in the most prominent source document:
American Psychiatric Association (2000), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition, Washington DC. Shapiro, F. (2001). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, 2nd edition, N.Y.: The Guilford Press.
1.0B. Definition – EMDR is an evidence-based psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In addition, successful outcomes are well-documented in the literature for EMDR treatment of other psychiatric disorders, mental health problems, and somatic symptoms. The model on which EMDR is based, Adaptive Information Processing (AIP), posits that much of psychopathology is due to the maladaptive encoding of and/or incomplete processing of traumatic or disturbing adverse life experiences. This impairs the client’s ability to integrate these experiences in an adaptive manner. The eightphase, three-pronged process of EMDR facilitates the resumption of normal information processing and integration. This treatment approach, which targets past experience, current triggers, and future potential challenges, results in the alleviation of presenting symptoms, a decrease or elimination of distress from the disturbing memory, improved view of the self, relief from bodily disturbance, and resolution of present and future anticipated triggers.
This definition was written by Creator Francine Shapiro-who is the creator and top
practitioner of EMDR. Below is a link to her book on Amazon.
A Short Film by Carlos Lascano-Lila-Stunning & Imaginative
When we are bombarded and overwhelmed with life, it is
hard to feel much of anything, much less have the time
or motivation to create. The best part of life is when we
are balanced and fresh; full of imaginative ideas…when
both sides of our brain are working in unison to achieve
phenomenal ideas and opportunities. When we are not
passionate about what we are doing we are living in
our own silent black and white film, trapped in a
monotonous scene that loops around, repeating
itself over and over and over again…
True fulfillment can be gauged by how open our
spirit is to creating and imagining. How do we attain
this in a world centered on the 9 to 5 daily grind?
It can be a vicious cycle because we stay away
from our passions because we claim to be too tired,
but these are the remedies to our imaginative blockages.
If we turned on that favorite song while we worked,
or we picked up that guitar when we felt the act of
it would enliven us and act more effectively than the
myriad of prescription drugs our society has become
dependent on to numb the anxiety.
We could literally used our imaginative life as a
gauge on how balanced and healthy we are.
So many people see my art and say “Oh I am
so not creative” and I respond by saying “Oh
yes you are!” People are creative in different ways;
with ideas, writing, building, selling, cooking, painting-
we all create art somehow in our lives. You are capable
of anything, you are innately imaginative so open up
your soul, grasp on to your instrument of choice and
release your inner artist…
A Sand Art Love Story
Today’s focus will be on unleashing the creativity and
imagination that may be laying dormant within.
Morning Meditation: To Ignite Creativity
Journal Entry: Consider what creativity lies within you and try to remember the last time you felt passionate about something and created something fantastic-a true reflection of who you truly are.
Self Care Activity: Purchase or pick up an art-form that you feel passionate about. Spend some time every day for one week re-acquainting yourself with this craft.
Music to Inspire Creativity
Elizabeth Gilbert-Your Elusive Creative Genius-TED Talk
How Art Evolves Consiousness
Evening Meditation: Your Question Answered-Mystical Creative Visualization
90 Days to Spiritual Enlightenment 